Photojournalists on the Campaign Trail

Photography Tips

Now that the fever of American elections is long gone, it’s about time to take a closer look at the so-called “campaign photographers”. Every four years, some photojournalists are assigned to tail the presidential candidates, as they campaign across the country. Here are two first-person testimonials, from Melina Mara and Nikki Kahn, both from The Washington Post, who followed Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, respectively:

Performing this kind of privileged job allows photographers to understand what other people aren’t exactly able to see—that is the true nature and purpose of the candidates. They immediately submerge into the candidacy world, sharing personal moments and personal stories of each candidate. Both Melina and Nikki state how fascinating it is to shoot them before hitting the spotlight, and to know what it feels like, how they truly are and how they behave while not in public.

“You end up watching and experience the quiet moments before he got on stage…. To spend that few moments behind the scenes is kind of precious.”